As I’ve mentioned, the past couple of weeks have been insane around here. In fact, I’m squeezing this post in between painting a couple rooms at my parent’s house and picking up candy bars for a Cub Scout candy sale I’m in charge of. When things get hectic, I am tempted to eat out or grab something quick and prepackaged at the grocery store. But I don’t, and our wallet thanks us. Our health probably does, too, since restaurant and prepackaged food is usually fatty, salty or both. Here is a sample of our dinner menus from last week.

Monday

Meatball stroganoff

Steamed green beans

Rolls

I wasn’t actually swamped last Monday, so I took the time to cook. I made a double batch of meatballs and whipped up a bowl of refrigerator dough for the rolls. Refrigerator dough is awesome because you can store it in the fridge for a week, pulling off what you need each day. This alleviates the need for daily mixing and kneading but you still get fresh bread. I’ll post up a recipe soon!

Tuesday

Chicken stir-fry

Rice

Tuesday was one of the insane days. I worked all morning then had to be out all afternoon and into the evening. I pre-cut the veggies the night before to save time, but even if I cut them right before cooking it still would have been quick. I also like stir-fry because a single chicken breast sliced thin feeds four people. The veggies and the rice is what fills you up, the chicken is just a condiment for flavor.

Wednesday

Veggie soup

We had a Cub Scout banquet that night, so I knew we would be fed. I also knew the boys would be hungry again by the time we got home several hours later. I threw the leftovers from the stir-fry, mainly veggies and a handful rice, in a crockpot before we left and added some chicken stock from the freezer. It finished filling their bellies before bed and supplied lunch the next day.

Thursday

Beef fried rice

Steamed broccoli

When I make stir-fry I make a huge batch of rice in my rice cooker. I used a handful of it in the soup but there was still a mountain left over. Day or two old rice is perfect for fried rice. I diced up a carrot and a quarter-onion fine, threw in some frozen peas, and added about a ¼ pound ground beef. I used a little bit of chicken stock, some soy sauce and a few drops of oyster sauce to flavor it.

Friday

Meatball subs

Oven fries

Remember those extra meatballs from Monday? I made some large rolls from the refrigerator dough and warmed up the meatballs in spaghetti sauce for the subs. My oven fries are just thinly sliced potatoes coated in olive oil and whatever seasoning grabs me that day, then baked for about 20 minutes at 350 F.

Saturday

Pizza

Breadsticks

I used the remaining meatballs broken up on a homemade pizza. I cheated this weak and instead of make our normal crust I used the refrigerator dough for the crust. It is a little too airy for a good pizza crust but works in a pinch when you are tired and pressed for time. I also used some of the dough and rolled it into breadsticks.

Sunday

Leftover soup

Clover rolls

All the rest of the veggies and meatballs went into the crockpot Sunday morning. We were painting all day, so there was no way I was cooking when we got back. I also used up the last of the dough and made clover rolls in a muffin tin (three small balls of dough per muffin cup). I stuck these in the fridge while were gone all day so they didn’t over-rise. This dinner was on the table in 20 minutes with next to no hands on time.

You may have noticed the copious use of planned leftovers last week. Each time I had a little time to cook, I made extra. But we never once ate the same thing twice, instead we used the leftovers in completely new dishes. This is the trick that works for my family. We tend not to eat leftovers as is, but we will eat them if they are used as an ingredient in a new dish.

What are some of your quick recipes? Let us know in the comments!

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In the mood for pizza but don’t have time to mess around with a yeast-dough recipe? Here is a recipe or a quick, yeast-less dough that turns out a very usable thin crust. While it doesn’t have the texture or flavor of a yeast dough, the added spices make it tasty in its own right.

No-Yeast Crust

2 cups flour

1 ½ teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 eggs

1 1/3 cups milk

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon oregano

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Mix all the dry ingredient together than mix in the milk and eggs. Pour the batter onto two lightly greased pizza pans. The batter will be pretty liquid and should pour easily, but you can also oil the back of a spoon and use that to spread the dough.

Bake for 10 minutes or until it begins to firm up. Remove from the oven and top with sauce, cheese and your desired toppings then cook for an additional 10 minutes.

20 minutes and only one dirty bowl to wash makes this recipe a winner for busy nights. As I said, it won’t satisfy your craving for a thick and chewy pizza crust, but it will please both kids and adult if they like a thinner crust. Enjoy!

What are some of your favorite recipes? Let me know in the comments!

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Often when I serve soup, casseroles or other one-pot meals, I add a side of bread to help fill tummies and add a feeling of completeness to the meal. I don’t always have time for a handmade loaf of bread, and most of the artisan breads at the grocery store are overpriced.

So when time isn’t on my side I serve popovers. This no-yeast, four ingredient quickbread takes just a few minutes to throw together. There is no needing and no rising. The batter is poured into a muffin pan, where much like muffins it ‘Pops over’ the top. I use the standard recipe from my Betty Crocker cookbook. I have adjusted the times, as I really believe there is a misprint in my book. I have cooked these in three different ovens in two states, both at high and low altitude, and if I follow the cook times in the book they burn. I’ll list the Betty Crocker cook times in parenthesis just in case you need to adjust the times.

Popovers

Preheat the oven to 450F. Mix two eggs, 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of milk and a pinch of salt together until well-blended. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan and fill each cup half full of batter. Bake for 15 minutes at 450F, then lower the temperature to 325F and bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven when the tops are golden. Serve warm.

(BC recommends cooking for 20 minutes at 450F and 15 minutes at 325F. BC also recommends preheating the muffin pan but I never have and they come out fine).

Do you have a favorite quickbread recipe? Share it in the comments!

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Chili & Cornbread

This is my winter comfort food. The trick to really saving money on chili is to use dried beans, not canned. I just dump them in a pot with some water the night before I plan on making the chili to soak for 24 hours, but you can also cook them in a pressure cooker and skip the soaking.

3 cups pre-soaked and cooked beans $1.59 (I use kidney beans but any hearty bean works)

2 cans tomato sauce $1.19

1 onion $.69

2 garlic gloves$.26

2 tablespoons chili powder + assorted seasoning $.30

Chop up the onion and garlic then throw everything in a pot. I usually add some more seasoning-red pepper flakes, oregano, cumin or whatever I’m in the mood for. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

I cheat on the cornbread and use Jiffy Mix corn muffins. Jiffy Mix—when you include the egg and milk—comes to $.90.

Total for meal–$4.93

Grilled Cheese and Soup

My secret here is canned soup. This and Jiffy Mix are about the only convenience foods I buy other than the occasional box of mac n’ cheese. I buy the family-size cans of tomato soup when they go on sale for $1 each, but the store-brand family-size is normally $1.49 so isn’t a budget breaker. We also use white bread for grilled cheese sandwiches, the only thing we use white bread for actually. If you prefer better bread go for it, as it still won’t come to more than $5 unless you go for an artisan loaf!

Tomato soup +half can of milk $1.65

Loaf white bread $.48

12 slices American cheese $1.25

Half stick of butter $.25

Total for meal–$3.63

Spaghetti

It doesn’t get better than this. Make a little or a lot, it’s still budget friendly and tasty. I serve spaghetti with a side of whatever vegetables we have on hand. For the sake of price comparison I’ll go with a bag of frozen green beans for $1.19

Spaghetti pasta $.99

Can spaghetti sauce $.89

¼ pound ground beef $.45

1 onion $.69

Chop the onion and brown the ground beef. Boil the noodles until done, drain, then stir in the onions, beef and sauce. Cook up the vegetables and you are ready to go. You don’t need a lot of meat in spaghetti and you can easily skip it completely. I like the flavor but think of it as a condiment to the dish.

Total for meal–$4.21

Fried Rice

This is a family favorite. You can use freshly cooked rice but one or two day old rice fries up better in my experience. Whenever I make a rice dish I cook twice as much as rice as needed and refrigerate half so we can have this dish a couple days later.

½ cup chicken $.84

4 cups cooked rice $1.60

1 cup diced veggie $1.00 (This is an estimate. Use a variety of what’s on hand such as a carrot, half an onion, some peas, corn or whatever you prefer).

3 tablespoons soy sauce $.20

2 eggs $.17

2 tablespoon oil $.11

Coat the bottom of a large frying pan with the 1T of oil. Dice up the chicken into small pieces and cook it. Remove from the pan and add the rest of the oil. Beat the eggs slightly then throw them in and scramble them in the oil. Add the vegetables, rice and chicken and mix in the soy sauce. Fry for a couple minutes, stirring the entire time. This makes a ton of food! I’ll sometimes serve it with a side salad but usually I just serve it on its own.

Total for meal–$3.93

Broccoli-cheese Baked Potatoes

Bake the potatoes in the microwave to save time and energy costs. Or, throw them in the oven with something else you are baking the day before serving this meal then just reheat before serving. I usually serve this with a side salad consisting of leaf lettuce, tomatoes and a shredded carrot which comes to $1.35.

8 potatoes $.80

2 tablespoons flour $.02

2 Tablespoons butter $.25

1 cup milk $.20

½ cup cheddar, cubed $.50

1 head cooked broccoli $1.00

Salt and pepper to taste $.02

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour until it forms a paste then slowly add the milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Cook until the mixture thickens then stir in the cheddar, salt and pepper and broccoli. Cook until the cheese melts then top your potatoes with it.

Total for meal–$4.14

What are some of your favorite low-cost, quick meals? Let me know in the comments!

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Question: What is Turnip Money?

We’ve all heard the saying “you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip.” Usually used to indicate someone is broke, the phrase is flung about without much thought. Here at Turnip Money, we took the time to think about it and came to a conclusion:

Why the heck do you need blood from a turnip to pay your bills? While it may be an oddity, turnip blood is worthless. That turnip on the other hand, is worth its weight in gold. How, you ask? Mash that baby up and serve with baked potato toppings, saute it and mix with a homemade white sauce for a soup, or raid the pantry and throw together a turnip casserole. Then—and this is the golden part—take the money you would have spent on fast food or prepackaged dinners but managed to save since you’re eating like royalty thanks to your turnip, and pay some bills or stick it in a savings account!

Answer: Turnip Money is the money you save by making the most of what you already have.

We won’t be squeezing turnips around here. Instead, we’ll be cutting the cost of life without cutting the quality. In fact, we’ll be improving the quality of our lives one turnip at a time. I hope you decide to take part in this journey. Whether you need to save a lot or a little, it’s going to be a fun ride.

Here’s that turnip casserole if you’re interested. Save the greens from the turnip tops, boil them 15 minutes, and serve them as a spinach-like side dish with this frugal meal!

Ham and Turnip Casserole

5 cups diced turnips
1 cup cubed ham (or bacon, chicken-whatever is on hand)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
1 egg
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

1/2 cup soft bread crumbs

Salt and pepper

½ cup cheese of your choice (cheddar, mozzarella, American)

Cover the turnips in water and boil for 15 minutes. Drain off the water and mash them as you would potatoes. Mix in the rest of the ingredients, except the cheese. Put the turnip mixture in your crockpot for four to eight hours on the low setting. Sprinkle the cheese on top right before serving. Can also be baked in a 350 F oven for 40 minutes. A perfect recipe for busy days when you won’t have time to cook in the evening!